How often do YOU change your oil?

[StangLX302]

I just changed my oil the other day then went for riding for most of 3 days. I checked it and it already looks dirty to me. How often should you change the oil?

[hotroddal]

i chang emy oil whenever it lookes real black and dirty

[a-camp]

Every time i get ready to go rideing. I ride 2 or 3 days a trip.

[Blown 331]

In my 450R I TRY to change it every 5 to 10 gallons of gas. I also use Honda synthetic oil.

[03 ORANGE SHEE]

once a month on the two strokers i have, and every 600 miles on the foreman

[patblkwell]

Going by the book, your supposed to change it every 30 hours of riding. I change mine about every 30 hours of riding or every month or so. Just see if it is getting dark and dirty.

[HRC1]

I change mine whenever it changes from gold to brown, oil is cheap, and the fresher the better.

[Dammit!]

I have no idea because I ride so infrequently but I know it's more than I need to. Not once has the oil in my R EVER looked dirty. I could drain it back into the bottles and re-sell it. :p

[ClayW]

Yeah, thats what I do. If its turning brown or black I go ahead and change it. As long as its clean looking I let it ride.

[83185s]

i do it about every month or so..it looks dirty every time i change it so i should do it more often but thats cause my trike is a pos...wouldnt matter how many times i changed it..lol it would still be dirty..i could probly pour it in then drain it and it would be dirty before i even ride after changing..or starting for that matter..lol

[a-camp]

Who runs 10-30 or 10-40 in your 250r

[crackshot]

In my 185s, I run Valvoline 10-30 in winter full synthetic in winter. Starts easier and has better flow because our temps here in winter get highs in 30's during day and 20's in evening, 16 at night on average.
10-40 full synthetic in summer.
Synthetic stays cleaner so I don't change it until it gets black which takes a while to turn synthetic oil black versus conventional oil.

As for your R, The only thing crankcase oil does is to lube transmission and clutch right?

I know on my Kawasaki H-2 triple street bike, I used to run transmission fluid in my crankcase. Tranny fluid is low viscosity motor oil with detergent added.
Thinner (trans fluid) really loosened things up and increased power through all ranges, but I would stick to what honda suggests for your R.

[BIGCRIP28]

I change mine when it gets dirty and starts getting kind of black.

[AZ250R]

Back in the day... I rode my 82 185 for over 2 years, WITHOUT EVER EVEN THINKING about the oil!?!?!? Then again I never did a thing to it cept put more gas in & RIDE! :cool: Damn those old Hondas are just TANKS, think'n bout it the only thing I had to add to it other than the petrol was duckt tape on the seat & plastic as they got bang'd up. :w00t:

I change the "miniscule" amount of oil in my 250R after every trip. It's got what like just over half a quart in it so I say "can't change it enough".

[hondatrikesrule22]

Whenever my engine blows up........Not really. I try to do it every once in a while.

[Blown 331]

You guys ever hear if you use conventional car motor oil (not motorcycle) it breaks down in like half an hour because there is so many moving parts to lubricate?

[AirManCam]

I change mine about once a month or so. Be sure to change your oil filter every time you change your oil also. I reccomend buying them off ebay, its like $13 for 6 oil filters, or $20 for like 12. Good deals!!

[HRC1]

You guys ever hear if you use conventional car motor oil (not motorcycle) it breaks down in like half an hour because there is so many moving parts to lubricate? I have hurd that it breaks down quicker due to the shear forces of the gearsets in the transmission. For lack of a better term the gears actually "smush" the oil molecules causing it to break down sooner, but a half hr sounds unlikley to me. The only diff between motorcycle oil and car oil is in the addative package. Oil is actually pretty high tech when you get into the technology of it. Go to redline oil for more info. I wouldnt be too worried though. Remember when these things were built there were few if any motorcycle specific oils available, and the average person with a atc probably didnt run it anyways. Your typical off the shelf oil is far more advanced today then it was in the 80's anyways. It is more the frequency that the oil is changed then how good the oil is for the most part. When i had the first service done on my 2004 honda cbr 1000rr i asked what kind of oil was put in it. The honda dealer told me they put valvoline all climate in everything unless otherwise specified. And they told me that honda oil is made by shell, but to honda specs. I will be switching to full syn in that in the spring, probably using the same oil i use in my 350X's

[ATC crazy]

Back in the day... I rode my 82 185 for over 2 years, WITHOUT EVER EVEN THINKING about the oil!?!?!?

Thats what happened to my old 87 SX. A good friend of the family bought it off the showroom floor and never checked or even changed the oil for a little over 2 years until my brother got it off of him. And I was the first person to change the fork oil after 14 years :eek:


But I change my oil once it changes from light brown to dark brown. :D

[a-camp]

This is a good thread lots of points covered so far .I asked who I think must be one of the fastest people on this site and they said 76 10-40 in thier bike.

[twgranger]

once a month.

[vartiak15]

ok i no this is dump but when cheecking your oil it should be to the top of the little x's on the dip stick right? (this is on a 85 200x) because i changed mine and put in 1.3 qt(i think thats what i put in) and it is wa over the little x's on the end of the dip stick.